Beth and Steve Martin travelled the length of the island to enjoy a last-minute staycation holiday as self-catering business owners enjoy a welcome boost.

It was something of a trip down memory lane for farmer Mr Martin, aged 64, and his wife, who live in Smeale near Andreas as they enjoyed a five-day break in the deep south at Port Erin.

The couple first met at a young farmers’ event at the Bradda Glen cafe in 1977 - and in September they will be celebrating 40 years of marriage.

Mr and Mrs Martin are not the only island folk who have decided to holiday in the island since restrictions were lifted.

It has proved to be a welcome tonic for people running holiday cottages and self-catering businesses whose bookings were decimated. They told Business News people are booking breaks in parts of the island they have little knowledge of. So it is not uncommon for people to travel the length and breadth of the island to savour a few days’ rest and recuperation.

Denied from travelling off the island because of closed borders, people are staying in the island instead.

Mr Martin left his sheep and cereals farm in the capable hands of his brother Chris Martin while he and his wife spent five days at Surfside, in Falcon Hill, Port Erin.

Mr and Mrs Martin themselves operate two holiday cottages at Smeale Farm Cottages and ended their trip to the south on Friday in plenty of time to welcome new guests.

Mr and Mrs Martin, who have three grown-up children, said they had enjoyed seeing all that the south of the island had to offer.

’For the first time in my life I’ve climbed South Barrule and visited the Meayll Hill stone circle,’ said Steve.

Sara Richards, who owns Ballacamaish Farm Cottages in Andreas, said she had seen more interest from islanders than she had anticipated.

Miss Richards said that she received several bookings ’without trying’. She has reduced the minimum stay for a short break from four to three nights and has been surprised by the interest shown.

Miss Richards, chairman of the island’s Self -Catering Owners Association, said most of the new bookings had come from people in the capital and further south who wanted to travel to the north of the island.

She said: ’The support from the Manx public has been most appreciated at this time.’

John Keggin, managing director of Island Escapes, said around 70% of guests from the UK had agreed to move their bookings on to 2021 in the hope the borders will have opened again by then.

He said that staycation bookings by island residents at some of the company’s 40 properties had proved to be most welcome during what was proving to be a difficult year because of the coronavirus pandemic.